All The Stars in Sight
by everfree-arrow
Summary: Maxon's trust was the only thing America wanted. Once she had that, she was sure her heart would follow. But with two other girls competing and increasing rebel attacks, will she be able to stay afloat in the final weeks of the Selection?
1. Chapter 1

"Again," ordered Anne, her tone commanding.

Anne would have made an excellent queen. Ever since she, Lucy and Mary had hatched their plan to help me win the Selection two days ago, her entire attitude had changed. She was still my maid, but she stopped being sweet and following around orders. Instead, she ordered me around, drilling me on palace protocol, treaties and foreign affairs until my head hurt.

I think that if I had been anybody else I would have been upset with her behavior; but honestly I was so grateful for the help. Anne had taken it upon herself to read any papers Sylvia brought over for me. Her understanding of all of the political terms surpassed mine. I don't know how she knew it all. I suspected she had vast resources with the other cooks and guards- she probably had her own spies everywhere. I made a mental note to put her in charge if I became queen.

'The treaty with New Asia was created with the intent of…strengthening the bond between the countries…but also to prevent…" I frowned, struggling to recall the correct political terms. Anne threw down the stack of papers she was holding in a huff.

"Lady America, you're doing it all wrong!" I could hear she was trying to still be gentle with me, but I was too frustrated to care. I fell backwards onto my bed with a groan.

"You make it seem so easy, Anne," I moaned. "I'll never get the hang of this."

"Lady America." Her tone was a little gentler. "It's difficult, but that's not what I'm referring to." I opened one eye to peer at her. "The one thing you must remember is that even if you don't quite understand what you are saying, you must say it with _confidence!_"

Her enthusiasm reminded me so much of Sylvia, I couldn't help buy laugh. In the corner, Mary and Lucy giggled over their sewing, no doubt having the same thought I was. Anne frowned and shushed them.

"Your goal right now should be playing the part of a princess. Just work on your appearance. We need the people to see you as queen material. "

"I don't know if they'll ever think that," I mumbled. Not after the Report incident, that was for sure.

"You just need to make it seem like you're someone that the people can put their faith in. You did something foolish-" From the corner, Mary made a sound of disapproval- "Alright, fine, disagreeable. You did something not everyone agrees on, but you need to show that it won't change you. It sends a message that you don't back down from a fight."

"But the king-" I interrupted.

"Never mind the king," overlapped Anne. "You're not on his good side, yes, but you're not going to cause any problems. It's all about how you carry yourself. Look at Queen Amberly. Even if she's not at work, she is regal and confident. She always has the air of being a queen." Anne jabbed a finger in my face. "That's what we're doing. You had an idea Illéa could possibly stand behind. Carry it."

From the corner, Mary and Lucy nodded along. I pushed myself up on my elbow. Anne looked positively ferocious. She probably could have gone head-on with Celeste and come out on top. It cast a warm glow over me- she really wanted me to win the Selection.

"You know what?" My maids all looked over at me. "I'm glad that out of everyone in the palace, you three are my maids. You've been so wonderful." I don't think I had ever expressed that to them before. They all beamed at me, and I smiled back.

The moment didn't last long. Anne came over and pulled me to my feet. She readjusted my posture, and gave me a once-over. "Now, Lady America, once more. Tell me about the first treaty with New Asia."

Over and over again I recited answers, trying to act as though I understood the political purposes of every treaty and statistic. Eventually it seemed to satisfy Anne, and she allowed me to sit down and read through new military reports. She seated herself with Mary and Lucy, and they began discussing dress styles for me in hushed tones. I seated myself at my desk and began pouring over new pages of statistics. I took notes in the margins, marking what I didn't understand so I could ask Anne or maybe Maxon later.

A knock came at the door. My maids leapt to their feet, and Lucy scurried over to answer it. She immediately swept into a deep curtsey. I smiled to myself and turned back to my paperwork, pretending I hadn't seen Maxon standing in my doorway. I bent over the papers, trying to keep from giggling. I could hear three pairs of feet head out the door, leaving me alone with Maxon.

He didn't speak at first. I could hear him cross the room, his footsteps light. He stopped right behind my chair. I turned the page of the report I was pouring over.

A sudden kiss on my jaw caused me to stop my pretending. I spun around to face Maxon. His hair was a mess, and his tie had come untucked from his jacket, tickling my arm.

"Hi," I squeaked.

He smiled at me. "Hi," he said quietly. "How are you?"

"Terrible, now that you've prevented me from having to read this _fascinating_ report."

He beamed down at me. "I'm glad to see you're still trying to learn how everything works here."

"Don't be fooled," I teased. "This information is so I can learn how to your job better than you do. We won't have a need for a prince when I get through."

Maxon chuckled, his chest rumbling with the sound. He leaned in to peer at the pages I was looking at. For one brief moment I thought he might kiss me- but we were interrupted by a sharp rap on the door.

We quickly leapt apart as Sylvia bustled into the room, carrying a stack of books. "Lady America, I brought the reading you requested!" she sang. She stopped short when she saw Maxon standing so close to me. Her arms wavered dangerously, almost dropping the books. I blushed. No doubt she was making assumptions about Maxon and I alone in my room together.

Maxon however was as cool as ever. "Sylvia, we were just talking about you!" He strode across the room and took the books from her arms. "Lady America was just saying what a great help you've been to her education here, and I must wholeheartedly agree with her."

The compliment distracted Sylvia. She blushed and smoothed her skirt. "I don't know if I've ever had such an eager pupil," she started. "That helps a great deal."

"You make it sound so interesting, Sylvia," I added. "I can't wait for our next lesson."

"As long as it isn't tomorrow night." Maxon turned back to me. "Lady America, I came here to see if you would like to accompany me for a walk on the grounds at that time."

"I don't know if I could possibly tear myself away from Sylvia's lessons, Maxon." He raised an eyebrow at me. I had taken that one too far. Sylvia didn't seem to notice, though. "I'll be there," I added hastily.

A pair of heels on the marble floors of the hall met my ears. "Maxon, darling!" someone called from down the hall. "Where have you gone?"

Celeste. Suddenly the state of his hair and tie made sense to me. I tried my best to keep my face calm (like Anne had been telling me to), but my insides twisted a little bit. Maxon had been seeing Celeste right before seeing me. I wasn't sure what to make of that.

"Tomorrow evening, Lady America." Maxon gave a nod to Sylvia and hurried out of the room. Sylvia smiled at me for a final time, before turning to follow Maxon out of the room. From the hall I could here Celeste's obnoxious voice asking Maxon where he had been. I didn't hear his response.

My maids hurried in moments later, shutting the door behind them and blocking out the sounds of Maxon and Celeste. I turned back to the papers I had been reading, but ended up staring at the pages, unable to concentrate. I couldn't stop thinking about Maxon with Celeste. I tried to comfort myself with the thought that it hadn't been Kriss, but that only made me feel worse.

Maxon had told me that I needed to trust him if I wanted to stay. It had already been two days, and I was already having doubts.

How long could I keep this up for?


	2. Chapter 2

I had been avoiding the women's room for the past few days. Part of it was because I really didn't want to see the other girls-especially Celeste- but mostly because it was part of the master plan. Anne and I had decided that I had to play the "female in shock" for two days, and then make an entrance.

So the day of my date with Maxon, I made my grand entrance. My maids had made me a new line of dresses- I was dropping the simplicity look, but I wasn't going for sexy, like Celeste. I didn't need to fight for Maxon in that way. Instead, I needed to look like a queen. The dress was cleanly cut and a deep blue, and I wore moderate heels. Anne straightened my posture up and showed me how to walk. I practiced a few times in front of the mirror. Chin up, shoulders back, walk like I own the place. I had to admit, I was beginning to believe that I could be a princess.

When I arrived at the Women's Room, I discovered Celeste already there. I headed for a chair in the corner so I wouldn't have to talk to her, but she made a beeline for me. In a swift motion, she knocked the book I had brought with me from my hand and wrapped one of her hands around my wrist. Her nails were sharp and claw-like, digging into my wrist painfully.

"Listen here, you little whore. Keep your hands off Maxon. Especially right before my dates."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said coolly.

Celeste's nails dug deeper into my wrist. "Don't play dumb with me. I'm on to you. Maxon goes running off towards your room and comes back with his hair a mess and his suit all rumpled. I know what you're doing."

"Celeste, Maxon came to me looking like that. We didn't do anything. " My pulse was racing. I could feel myself start to shake, and tried to calm myself. _Be a princess_, I told myself. "Ask Sylvia if you don't believe me," I added, pleased to hear how calm my voice sounded.

Celeste wouldn't have it. "You don't deserve to be here and you know it. You were supposed to leave after your screw-up with the Report, and what happens? You and Maxon get all cozy during the rebel attack, and magically you're still here. It sickens me." Her voice was filled with a surprising amount of venom.

My face flushed at Celeste's implications. I opened my mouth to argue, but Celeste's other hand was suddenly on my face, squeezing my chin so I couldn't open my mouth.

"You need to stop trying to be the seductress. You will never win that way. Kriss and I agree, this will end, even if it's with you being executed for breaking the law, even with the Prince." She dropped her hands and sniffed. "Lord knows that's what your slut friend Marlee truly deserved. Did you take lessons from her?"

My blood was boiling. I felt my hand clench into a fist, and if Queen Amberly hadn't picked that moment to enter the Women's Room, I might have slapped Celeste again and destroyed my chances of staying. My hand immediately dropped upon seeing the Queen. Celeste and I curtsied, and then Celeste swept across the room, seating herself near the queen. I felt a huge sense of relief. I hadn't lost my temper this time.

Queen Amberly smiled at me. "It's good to see you're feeling better after your near-encounter with the rebels, Lady America."

The Queens' words somehow calmed me for the time being. Or maybe I was just happy she was acknowledging me over Celeste. "Thank you, your majesty," I responded with a small curtsey.

"My husband and I are very grateful for your quick thinking. You saved our son." For one brief moment, her grace dropped away, and I could see her for who she really was- a worried mother who had just come close to losing her son. And then her regality returned. She seated herself by the window, and Celeste immediately flew across the room to be beside her.

I seated myself in the corner, partially to calm myself after Celeste's accusations. I was still a little upset. How many people thought that Maxon and I had- was Celeste just trying to get to me? That was the logical explanation. It was getting down to the wire. With four of us left, we really had to stand out. Of course Celeste would do anything to get under my skin. I remembered Marlee's words from our first night in the palace- that people had their own ways to get under each other's skin. Celeste had found my weakness and exploited it well.

That still didn't explain her accusations about yesterday. Maxon had come to me looking a mess. I had assumed it was Celeste, but I doubted she would let me take any credit for kissing Maxon, when the credit was clearly hers. I felt a moment of relief, knowing Maxon most likely hadn't been kissing Celeste yesterday. For one brief moment I pondered the other girls, but quickly pushed that away. Kriss had made her intentions about kissing before weddings very clear, and I had seen Maxon with Elise- there was no chemistry at all. So I didn't need to worry about them. Not that I should have been worrying. I should have been focusing on my task at hand-

But my mind finally admitted to something I had been trying not to think about for the past few days. The King's words about other girls offering themselves to Maxon had been eating away at me. I knew that the king was probably trying to get to me, but some part of me wondered. Was there someone else in the palace? Someone kept hidden from sight? Someone who worked here, maybe, who was sneaking around, kissing him…or worse-

No. I wouldn't let myself think like that. Maxon had told me I needed to trust him. And I was going to try to do that. I was going to forget about Celeste and the kings suggestions about Maxon; I was going to do what I came here to do.

Fight.

I sat up and picked up my book. The book was just a cover- I was here to observe. I peered over at the corner, where Celeste and Queen Amberly were chatting. I watched the way Queen Amberly was sitting. She was straight in her chair, but her posture still seemed relaxed and easy. Her chin was lifted, her eyes were warm. She was regal even when being casual. She looked like a queen at all times, but had a soft side to her.

It was time to put a piece of my plan into action

I set my book down and crossed the room, remembering everything Anne and my other maids had taught me about being graceful. I tried to imagine that I was floating as I walked; that tiny clouds supported me all the way across the room. Act like the Queen in every way possible.

Queen Amberly smiled at me as I approached. "Lady America, my dear, so good of you to join us. How's that book?" Her voice was steady and warm.

"Fascinating," I responded, trying to match her tone. "I never knew how intricate our government really was! Sylvia has excellent recommendations."

Celeste snorted. I was sure I was taking it a bit too far, but it was too late to correct that.

I took a seat as Queen Amberly chuckled lightly at my response. "You should take a break and join us."

Celeste cut in. "We were talking about Maxon when he was a boy." Her words were warm but she was glaring daggers at me.

Queen Amberly didn't notice. "We are. I was just telling Lady Celeste how much mischief Maxon used to get into when he was younger. " She smiled wistfully at the memory. "He was trouble."

"Really?" Maxon was so well behaved; I couldn't believe he had ever been anything but.

Queen Amberly nodded in earnest. "He was quite a handful. He would run around causing all sorts of trouble. The tutors couldn't keep him under control, but the servants found him to be amusing. I can't say the same about the cooks, though," she added thoughtfully. "He was quite the con artist, and not just in the kitchens. He used to steal cameras from me, until I thought it best to get him his own."

Celeste and I chuckled at this. "What happened?" I asked, keeping my tone light. "He's quite serious now. I never would have guessed he was so…" I paused, trying to find an appropriate word."

"Mischievous?" supplied the Queen. "You never would have guessed at all, but his father had a chat with him one day about how he was to be king someday, and Maxon began to behave." She sighed ever so slightly. "I do miss his spirit sometimes. I must say, you ladies bring it out in him. He's never been this cheerful."

I smiled, feeling a warm glow inside. Part of that happiness was caused by me.

The Queen looked as though she was about to say more, but we were interrupted by the clacking of heels entering the room. Kriss stood in the door, looking stunned to see me. I noted she was starting to take after Celeste in her approach- despite her morals, she was wearing a more revealing dress than usual.

Kriss quickly straightened up and curtsied to the Queen, before walking briskly towards me. "America, may I please speak to you? Perhaps a walk in the gardens?"

I looked around, trying to find some way out of it. To my dismay, Celeste piped up. "That's an excellent idea. We can finish the conversation about Maxon later." Her smile was incredibly malicious. I had the feeling that she knew why Kriss wanted to talk to me.

I forced myself to turn and smile. Keep it together, be graceful. "A walk would be delightful, Kriss."

She gave me half of a smile, before turning and heading out the door. I followed her, wondering what she could possibly want to discuss with me.

Kriss didn't speak all the way to the gardens. We finally settled on a bench- mine and Maxon's bench- before she even made eye contact with me. She looked down immediately and fiddled with her skirt.

"Are you okay?" I asked her. She looked really upset.

Kriss took a deep breath.

"I need to know what happened that night of the attack between you and Maxon."

**A/N Wow, I did not expect that many reviews already! I'm glad you guys are enjoying my story. Reviews are helpful, even if it's telling me what you don't like it. A heads up, I won't be posting for a bit- my internship is coming to an end, and I have to move to a new apartment. BUT I promise I will work on new chapters any chance I get! The next one is in the works…I cut this one off here before anything too interesting happened because the next chapter is going to be longer, and felt it should stand by itself. Hang in there, I promise it gets interesting! : )**


	3. Chapter 3

My mind was racing. First Celeste, and now Kriss. I knew Kris's wasn't exactly an ally, but at the very least I had expected her trust me. Did everyone in the palace assume something had happened between Maxon and me? My face was flaming. So much for being composed.

"Kriss, nothing happened," I finally managed. "Why would you think that?"

"You were a goner, America." Kriss' eyes were filled with hatred. I suddenly realized how serious the Selection had become since Maxon kept me. I had never seen Kriss-gentle Kriss- look so furious.

"After your stunt with the Report, there was no way you were going to stay," Kriss was saying. "Really, America, it was like you were trying to get yourself executed! You tore apart our nation on television. There was no way Maxon could let you stay after that! I thought-" She broke off, and started to cry. Instinctively, I reached out a hand to comfort her, but she swatted it away. I reached into the pocket of my dress, and found a handkerchief. Kriss accepted it after a moment, wiping away her tears. Her crying didn't stop.

"I thought I had a chance," she said weakly between sobs. "For one shining moment, I knew I could be the Queen. Maxon's wife." Kriss looked so fragile in that moment, I almost couldn't blame her or being so worried about Maxon.

Her sobs quieted after a moment. Kriss sat up straighter, suddenly serious. For one brief moment, I wondered if the crying had been an act. My stomach twisted slightly with concern.

"So of course, what was I to think? There really is nothing you could have said to him to fix this.

"You've been talking to Celeste, haven't you?" This wasn't what I needed at this point. Celeste was determined to take me out no matter what. Having Kriss side with her was dangerous at this point in the game.

"We all had a meeting after the incident, America. We're very upset over this. We want to go to Maxon and protest, but we don't want him to send us home instead. We remember what happened with Janelle," she added bitterly.

I needed to get Kriss to calm down, and fast. I wasn't worried as much about what Celeste and Elise thought, but I needed Kriss to believe me.  
"Kriss," I finally said, "do you love Maxon?" I knew the answer, but she needed to realize it.

She looked at me, her face full of astonishment; perhaps a little angry I dared to question her. "I do, America. I really, really do."

"So...do you trust him?"

Kriss pondered my words silently. I could see the realization crossing her face. Not believing me would mean not believing Maxon. Nervously, she played with her skirt again. She looked up at me, sizing me up. "Tell me everything," she demanded.

I settled onto the bench, and tried to look comfortable. "I was sure I was done for," I said softly. It hurt to remember that moment- that stretch of time where I had realized the magnitude of my actions. I had been so foolish. "I returned to my room to pack. Maxon came to see me." My words were rehearsed, but Kriss had no way of knowing that.

"He asked me to come to the gardens with him- he was angry, I think. He took me the long way so nobody would see me. On our way, received word of the Rebel attack, but by then, it was too late- they were right there. Maxon...got hit by some rubble. His back. He was injured and bleeding." I was oh so dangerously close to the truth, but Maxon's pain had been noticeable. The Rebels had been his cover story. Kriss had the appropriate action: horror. I heard her gasp. It probably hadn't been the first time she had heard it, but it brought fresh pain.

"I couldn't leave him," I continued. "I had remembered guards checking out a hide away after the last attack, and it was close. I helped Maxon get in there, and figured out how to get in there. We shut the door before any Rebels saw where we had gone."

"Thank goodness," breathed Kriss.

"We were lucky- there was a medical kit in there. I helped Maxon patch up his back. "Kriss hissed in displeasure. "I had to, Kriss, he asked me to! We didn't know how long we would be there, and they could have been infected." This calmed her, more from worry about Maxon.

"And then...Maxon gave me a piece of his mind."

Kriss' eyes widened. "I've never seen him angry," she whispered.

Kriss was buying my story. Relief flooded through my body. "Never get on his bad side, Kriss. It's scary."

"What happened next?" I could hear the suspicion return to her voice.

"We talked."

"You do that a lot, don't you." Kriss sounded irritated, as though she had been expecting a confession from me.

"We had a lot to say, Kriss."

Kriss gave a little laugh. "You really expect me to believe that's all that happened?"

I straightened up and glared at her. "No. I expect you to believe the man you're trying to marry."

Again, I could see Kriss was at a loss for words. She must have known I was right.

"Don't believe me. I don't care, Kriss." I didn't. I wasn't going to argue with someone who would never listen to me. Maxon and I knew what happened. That was all that mattered. "But if you want to stand a chance against me, you need to learn to trust Maxon." She didn't realize how true those words were. For one moment, I wanted to tell her everything, but deep down I knew she would use anything like that against me at this point.

"I don't know what to believe, America." Kriss stared off towards the edge of the garden. "I want to trust you. It seems like Maxon does, anyways. I just don't understand how you saving Maxon is enough to keep you in the palace."

"I didn't make that decision. I don't know what made Maxon change his mind."

"I'm sure," muttered Kriss.

I rose, feeling annoyed. I couldn't believe I had just tried to help Kriss, only to have her continue her accusations against me.

"Wait!" Kriss grabbed my arm. "Don't go yet."

"What is it, Kriss?" I snapped.

"I still need you. As a friend."

I was momentarily speechless. "You drag me out here and make accusations about me, despite the fact I tried to help you, and you want me to be friendly towards you?"

"America," pleaded Kriss. "I don't know what to believe. It's so odd, but at the same time, I don't think Maxon would do that. And I don't know you. I don't know what you're like. Have you had a boyfriend before?"

"Once," I admitted. "But he broke my heart. I could never do that to someone, Kriss" I pulled away, ready to leave.

"I need to be friends with you. For Maxon. He likes you."

"Really? I thought he kept me here for entertainment." I was angry. Kriss was being incredibly two- faced. I had had enough.

"America." Her voice was desperate. "Maxon would be happy if we could get along."

"Maxon would be happy if you didn't accuse us of illegal things."

"Something happened, America, that's given you some kind of advantage!"

"Would you stop thinking of everything as an advantage!" My voice was loud and powerful, and echoed across the gardens. Anne would have been proud. Kriss was shocked to hear me raise my voice.

"Neither of us got to be here by having special advantages, Kriss." My voice was softer as I continued. "We've been ourselves this entire time. Maxon loves us for who we are, not because we fight dirty. Something did happen that night, but not the scandal you keep expecting." The words were tumbling out of my mouth at this point. "We talked about how we really felt about each other. We talked about everyone here and what made us work, and we talked about trust. Something you need to learn about. If you love that man, you trust him. And if you want to make secret pacts with me, you trust me. I will be civil to you until you learn that, but certainly not your friend. Good day," I added.

Because it was lady-like.

* * *

I stormed back into the palace, daring anyone to say anything to me. My mind was racing and my blood was boiling. I felt like an idiot for trying to help Kriss, and at the same time I was so furious with her for not listening to me. I could have ripped Celeste to shreds if I had seen her for planting this idea. Instead, the person I saw was the person I really needed to see.

Maxon.

He was speaking intently to the palace guards. He looked so serious and mildly frustrated, running his fingers through his hair as he talked to them. He turned slightly, and caught sight of me.

It was like an entirely different Maxon. Instantly, the frown lines on his forehead melted away, and a small smile played at his lips. His entire posture relaxed. He continued to talk to the soldiers, but I could see him glance in my direction every so often.

Despite my anger, I felt myself smile. I waited for him to glance my way again. Gently, I tugged on my ear.

Maxon didn't tug back. Instead, he shook hands with the soldiers he had been speaking to, and headed over to me. His arms reached out, as if to hug me, but he stopped short, remembering people could see him.

"Is everything all right?" he asked quietly, frowning slightly at me. Gently, he rubbed his hand across my forehead. "You look upset." He let his hand rest on my cheek, and I enjoyed its comforting feeling for a moment.

"I have something to ask you," I responded quietly. "But not here."

Maxon smiled at me. "Right this way, my dear."

I opened my mouth to scold him, but stopped short when I saw the mocking grin on his face. I couldn't help but grin back.

Maxon led me through a hallway and stopped in a little alcove. He put his arms around me and pulled me into a hug. "How's your day going?"

I didn't want to move from his arms. The hug was needed. "I'm okay," I mumbled in to his shirt.

"What did you need to ask me?"

I looked up at him seriously.

"I need to see Marlee."

* * *

**A/N Hello from my new apartment! This is so weird. I have an apartment. And my own room for the first time in five years. **

**I start animation school on Monday! But the good news is, I've started the next chapter. Thank you for all the reviews and follows…I hope you're enjoying this. What did you think of this chapter? It has purpose, but I wasn't sure about the flow... LOVE YOU ALL. **


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